Singer-songwriter Ron Kalmakoff’s music is so closely correlated with evoking vivid nostalgia in his listeners, that his fans asked for years if he would ever consider releasing a full Christmas album. This holiday season they are in luck, as his first ever Christmas single “Christmas Once Again,” just in time to incorporate into this year’s music memories. Check it out on YouTube here:

Before migrating to the west coast of Canada, Kalmakoff spent his childhood roaming the prairies of Canora, Saskatchewan, an experience he illustrates in an earlier song of his entitled “Where the Willows Bend.” In “Christmas Once Again”, he calls upon that same wistfulness, changing the lyrics of “Where the Willows Bend,” and inviting listeners back to that familiar special place in Canora- this time to stay for the holidays.

It's a tongue-in-cheek Christmas for London, Ontario's preeminent folk-roots collective Maggie's Wake. Their new single "Christmas Is Coming (for you)" on YouTube here:

 "Christmas Is Coming (for you)" is not your typical holiday single. Maggie's Wake's frontwomen Tara Dunphy (The Rizdales, Luther Wright and the Wrongs) and Lindsay Schindler (Rant Maggie Rant, Trent Severn) aren't afraid to get candid about the ever-expanding holiday season-- and how hard they often find it not to roll their eyes.

Listeners will relate to their quippy lyrics about spotting Christmas decorations pre-Halloween, accidentally overspending on gifts, and having to create "a gluten-friendly, vegan, pescatarian" meal the whole family can enjoy. But that doesn't mean Maggie's Wake has penned a new anthem for Ebenezer Scrooge!

There’s no better way to ring in the 2023 holiday season than with Sherri Harding’s enchanting new single, “Doin’ Christmas Right.” Check it out on YouTube here:

Produced by Dick Cooper, with Brian Cooper on bass and Rob Holtz on percussion, Harding’s new song is another project created in collaboration with The Cooper Brothers. Instrumentals by the world-class Muscle Shoals Horns inject warmth, energy, and a beloved holiday sound into the single. With all the makings of a holiday classic, “Doin’ Christmas Right” is a melody listeners will no doubt return to year after year.

Hani Abadi steps out from his comfort zone with his new acoustic project Tiamat.

With anything but a dull musical journey, Abadi has taken on his first solo project since being part of Bilocate, a dark metal band. Originally from what was formerly known as Yugoslavia, Abadi explains he is from a place that labels anyone a satanist for looking different or listening to music that is misunderstood. With Bilocate, he rebelled through music and even risked imprisonment with shows that were eventually shut down by authorities. Today, the musician calls California home, and he can’t recall the last time he performed the last time he played in his country, Jordan.

Now, after a history of musical rebellion, comes his first solo project: a collection of personal stories enveloped in a delicate and emotive album.

There's no such thing as too much of singer/songwriter Donita Large, and thankfully, she is back with her highly anticipated blues single, "Too Much of Anything.” After reaching the #1 spot on the Indigenous Music Countdown with her debut single, "Going To Walk That Line," fans have been wanting more. Check out “Too Much of Anything” on YouTube here:

When you can’t find your place, all surroundings are strangers.

It’s a dark, complicated world that comes with no manual. It’s a feeling that Hawaii-based MDMP founder and frontman Jeremey Meyer knows personally, and it was the motivation behind the band’s latest single, “Stranger Things.” Check it out on YouTube here: youtube.com/channel/UCEyEbuONOtWcMXru-CR4b4Q

 “This song is dedicated to everybody who feels they somehow don’t belong in this messed-up world,” Meyer explained. “I myself am a bastard child who tries to make the most of what has been given to me.”

That spirit is at the essence of MDMP, a one-man band with an endless list of members. Collaboration is the purpose of its existence, and it’s how all of its music has been made.

Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter, Z Chambers works through relationship woes on his Sweetest Lies EP, out now. This 4-track EP is a compilation of his recent songs and a story that unravels right through. On the EP’s lead single, “Sweetest Lies,” the singer gets candid about his most recent romantic connection. Check it out on YouTube here:

Centered around frustrations with his experiences in relationships, the “Sweetest Lies” project is delivered into four parts–four songs. Each track is based on lies, but unravels in special ways, inviting listeners to live through his deep lyrics.

Following on from 2022’s impactful Darkside of Christmas Chapter 1, Collette Cooper, known for her individual, unmistakable voice returns this festive season with Darkside of Christmas Chapter 2 (Thelonious Punk Records.)

Reflecting the current political and social environment caused by the impact of national and global events, Darkside Of Christmas Chapters 1 & 2 takes a more poignant approach to the seasonal album, aiming to recognise the recent difficulties that have been felt by many around the world, touching on themes of love, loss and empathy, tied together with wry wit, edgy humour and outstanding musicianship.

George Gagnidze is a talented Israeli/Canadian composer with a knack for curating gripping electronica compositions. Currently residing in Vaughan, ON, the artist has returned with a brand-new single “Composition 800.”

Written, produced and composed entirely by Gagnidze, “Composition 800” is an enchanting electronic composition to sink your teeth into. As you make your way through this track the artist takes you on an alluring passage of dark keywork and warped production – a captivating touch to say the least. Check it out on YouTube here:

With its loose, careening, ’70s rock ‘n’ roll style, you would hardly expect Toronto indie rockers The Alter Kakers’ fun-loving new single “The Great Upheaval” to be about something as highfalutin as fine art, but indeed it is. Check it out on YouTube here:

Inspired by The Great Upheaval art exhibit at the AGO in Toronto, the song is told from the perspective of painter Marc Chagall in the first verse (“I made my name as a painter; I helped create a new style, and we changed the landscape for a while”); and then Picasso in the second verse: “I’ll put your ass on a canvas, cut you into cubes; they’ll know your name but never recognize you.”

Get ready to groove with another timeless rock & roll track brought to life by Run the River, featuring Joel Manchester on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Chris Furlotte on drums, Rick Couture on bass with fantastic backup vocals, Ed Legge on lead guitar and excellent backup vocals, and Ross Kinney on keys.

Out now, 'Punch the Dark' stands as an anthem for bad days. The track commences with a dramatic opening driven by piano and guitars, giving you that span of a second to wonder what the next instrumental twist will be – exactly where the cheerful melody with classic rock & roll elements gets all your attention. Check it out on YouTube here:

The multifaceted musical artist Abøn has released her debut album Talon.

At the forefront of the album are the Canadian-Danish's gentle vocals. Her delicately mastered skill will captivate listeners from start to finish. More than just well-seasoned vocals, Abøn brings another edge to the pop-forward album. Her classical background is present throughout the tracks as well-orchestrated strings and expressive piano melodies flawlessly intertwine with catchy rhythms and well-thought-out electronic textures. Talon travels through beautiful harmonies bringing its listeners a sense of peace and allowing them to wander to a world of wonder and fantasy.

Things can get weird in isolation, and then add unemployment to the mix and you’ve got yourself a recipe for some wild, psychedelic trippy-ness. Such were the conditions leading to Les Moontunes’ dark, strutting, and stunning new single “Elephant Wizard” off their forthcoming concept album of the same name. Check it out on YouTube here:

During the thick of isolation in the Covid-19 pandemic, Les Moontunes’ frontman Miguel Dumaine had been laid off from work and his days began bleeding into one another, forming one long, blurry stretch unto nothingness. So he dug deep into his imagination and created a fictional character he christened the Elephant Wizard.

Toronto-based avant-garde pop singer-songwriter and producer Wrené stuns with new dark ambient trap single “Venom.” The hard-hitting track emerges from her atmospheric third album Metamorphosis, which wasreleased in August. “Venom” is an electric trip into the throes of Wrené’s dark wonderland, exploring the relationship between reality’s dull knife and surrealism, the high highs and lower lows of addiction, and the state of the human condition amidst it all.

Check it out on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/1EXY1toA5xF8vVW0OKbUXV

Borne from the bleak hopelessness and isolation that defined the COVID-19 pandemic, Metamorphosis sees Wrené finding refuge in creativity, fantastical escapism, and the exploration of personal identity. She crafted dreamy sonic landscapes that allowed her to explore the unknown through music — even while the world was in lockdown. She reveled in self-transformation and remained mindful of the power of her art to help others in similar situations.

With sweeping vocals and euphoric nods to pop-rock, “Mona Lisa” acts as an exciting statement in the band’s ever-evolving discography. “If I could have dreams / I’d see those eyes” Sean Lyons sings over towering guitar chords and drum washes. “It’s loosely about this story of Vincenzo Peruggiain, a guy who stole the actual Mona Lisa” Lyons says on the inspiration behind the song. “He became so possessed with the painting that he stole it, and the song became about tapping into the things we become obsessed over.” Fluctuating between romantic confusion and historical anecdotes, “Mona Lisa” bridges modern rock with the tonality of 80s pop-rock.

Check out Mona Lisa on YouTube here:

 Continuing to innovate new-found forms of Canadian rock, stay tuned for more to come as Wet Future gears up for a variety of upcoming releases. 

Emerging singer-songwriter Victoria Houser, a talented, Toronto-based country/roots artist hailing from the tranquil coastal town of Hubbards, Nova Scotia, unveils her latest single, 'When You're Sober.' This upbeat, unusually melancholic, and infectious track is the first single from her upcoming 4-song EP, titled ‘Somewhere Close to Home’, set to be released Tuesday, November 14th, 2023.

Accompanying the single launch is a music video, which was recorded with live audio from The Root Down in Toronto.

Victoria Houser's musical journey began organically, influenced by her East Coast upbringing. She seamlessly combines country and folk elements with an East Coast flair, drawing inspiration from musical luminaries such as Gillian Welch, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, and Anne Murray.

Soaring effortlessly through the shared airspace of rock and pop, Houston’s The Metal Byrds reach new heights on their just-released single, “Stop Motion.” Culled from their most recent EP album, Moments Before Sunrise, the track sees the hard-working band furthering their commitment to irresistible songcraft that doesn’t sacrifice an ounce of power in its quest for the ultimate singalong.

Guitarist Sly Rye peels off some Hendrixian pyrotechnics while bassist Mac Jacob and drummer Charlie “Breeze” Janto hammer out a relentless, propulsive rhythm. Over the top of it all, vocalist Suzanne Birdie applies her dual classic-rock and grunge influences to an aggressive earworm melody as infectious as the urgent lyric that accompanies it:

Stop Motion, non-stop commotion
The world’s spinning without emotion
Stop Motion, non-stop commotion
You move me 

The Brother Bicker Band is country, Canadian style, and the seven-member group of roots rockers are bringing more of their signature sound with the release of their new single, 'Another Kind of Train', out now. The band's self-described sound of 'Maple Whiskey Rock n Roll' is packed into the storytelling chorus and sliding notes of 'Another Kind of Train'.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/6tFcHZC8IfY7jIlEudW2Uv

 Based in Calgary, AB, The Brother Bicker Band has a rich and full sound, put together by seven friends; Jeremy Hrdlicka on acoustic guitar and vocals, Tom Mogan on guitar and vocals, Jennele Coulson and Clarie Wilkes on vocals, Ben Ellard on keys, and completing the lineup are Matt Dawe on drums and Jim Duncan on bass that earned them two YYC Music Award nominations this and last year.

Fusing mood, anthemic, and pop elements, multitalented singer Natalie Exora presents her fresh single “Perfect” out now. Originally from Trinidad, and presently based in Toronto, the singer’s periodic inspiration draws from what she sees daily in society. In “Perfect” Natalie quite artistically crafts “today’s fascination for material things, but the most enduring of all things… is love,” in under 4 minutes. Check it out on YouTube here:

 Natalie Exora taps into a rich register in “Perfect” which easily exposes her raw emotions throughout the song. To top it off, the singer’s storytelling in her songwriting seals the deal.

“Two hearts together, we’re perfect (perfect) /One life, one love, one day you’ll come back home to stay/ Why, is it a crime?”

Saskatchewan-based emerging artist MELODNA (pronounced Mel-oh-dee-na) digs deep on sophomore EP, She, out now. She sees the singer-songwriter tracing the roots of her African heritage into the present-day, as she adeptly blends elements of R&B, Afrofusion, and South African sounds.

That ready embrace of cultural fusion is a driving force behind MELODNA’s artistry. “My name, MELODNA, came from my love of Zambian harmonies,” she explains. “I’m Zambian, South African, and Malawian born in Canada.”

MELODNA recently released energetic Afrobeats-centric single “OMD” in advance of the project, which serves as a follow-up to 2021’s Keepsake. Levitational chord progressions, stunning vocals, and a relentless beat define the song, a victorious track with infectious zeal that sees MELODNA celebrating how far she’s come and embracing the person that she’s grown into along the way.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/1EXY1toA5xF8vVW0OKbUXV